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An Arizona State University analysis commissioned by NPR found that OpenAI’s Sky voice was acoustically more similar to Scarlett Johansson’s voice than 98% of roughly 600 professional actresses in the comparison set. That is unusually strong resemblance, but it is not proof that OpenAI cloned Johansson’s voice, that Johansson performed Sky, or that any law was broken.
What the analysis actually compared
ASU researchers analyzed recordings of Sky from OpenAI demonstrations of GPT-4o’s real-time voice features in May 2024. They ran several AI speech-analysis models and compared Sky with recordings from approximately 600 professional actresses.
The result was a relative ranking: Johansson’s voice was judged more similar to Sky than the voices of 98% of the other actresses in that dataset. The figure describes similarity within that particular comparison group; it is not a 98% probability that OpenAI copied Johansson.
How strong was the resemblance?
| Finding | What it supports | What it does not establish |
|---|---|---|
| Johansson ranked as more similar to Sky than 98% of about 600 actresses | Sky had an unusually close acoustic profile to Johansson relative to the tested voices | It does not identify the speaker or prove intentional imitation |
| Anne Hathaway and Keri Russell sometimes scored as more similar to Sky | Sky’s profile was not uniquely matched to Johansson in every model or comparison | It does not show that either actress voiced Sky |
| Berisha said the voices were likely not identical | The analysis detected meaningful differences as well as similarities | It does not resolve who selected, directed or approved Sky’s voice |
Lead researcher Visar Berisha, an Arizona State University computer scientist, characterized the result this way: “Our analysis shows that the two voices are similar but likely not identical.”
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Sky and Johansson were not acoustically the same
The reports describing the analysis noted several distinctions. Sky was characterized as slightly higher-pitched and more expressive, while Johansson’s voice was described as breathier. Those differences matter because voice-analysis systems compare measurable features such as pitch, timbre and speaking patterns rather than deciding whether two recordings are the same person.
A high similarity score can therefore coexist with a different speaker. It indicates that listeners and algorithms may perceive a close vocal character, not that the recordings came from one vocal source.
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Was Sky actually Scarlett Johansson?
The available evidence does not show that Johansson recorded Sky. OpenAI said Sky was performed by another professional actress using her own natural speaking voice. Sam Altman likewise said, “The voice of Sky is not Scarlett Johansson’s, and it was never intended to resemble hers.”
Johansson gave a different account of the surrounding events. She said Altman approached her in September 2023 about licensing her voice and that she declined. After hearing the public demo, she said, “I was shocked, angered and in disbelief,” and said her lawyers asked OpenAI for an explanation.
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OpenAI’s position was that Sky’s casting had been handled separately and that the company did not intend to imitate Johansson. A Washington Post report based on records presented a competing chronology, indicating that the actress who voiced Sky had been hired before Altman’s outreach. That chronology bears on the dispute over intent, but it does not by itself settle it.
Why did OpenAI pause Sky?
OpenAI announced that it was pausing or pulling the Sky voice after the public controversy. The company apologized for poor communication and maintained that another actress had supplied the voice.
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Pausing a voice is a public-relations and product decision, not an admission that the voice was illegally copied. The action reduced the immediate dispute while questions about consent, similarity and the casting process remained unresolved.
Independent reader supportYour contribution helps us test, update, and keep practical guides available for everyone.What the analysis proves—and what it does not
What the evidence supports
- Sky had an unusually close measured resemblance to Johansson compared with most voices in the ASU-NPR comparison group.
- The resemblance was strong enough to support the widespread comparisons with Johansson’s Samantha voice in the 2013 film Her.
- Sky and Johansson were still likely different voices, with identifiable acoustic distinctions.
What remains unproven
- The analysis does not establish that Johansson recorded Sky.
- It does not establish that OpenAI deliberately instructed an actress to imitate Johansson.
- It is not a court finding, a final legal determination or proof of infringement.
- It does not determine whether any consent, publicity-rights or copyright issue was violated.
The analysis was reported by NPR and summarized by other outlets; it should be understood as an expert acoustic comparison, not as a peer-reviewed finding that establishes authorship or legal liability.
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The clearest answer to the controversy
OpenAI’s Sky voice was very close to Scarlett Johansson’s voice by the measures used—closer than 98% of approximately 600 comparison actresses—but the available analysis also found differences and said the voices were likely not identical. Johansson’s account and OpenAI’s account conflict over the approach and timing, and pausing Sky did not resolve that dispute. The evidence supports “unusually strong resemblance,” not a proven voice clone or proven wrongdoing.
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